The task of automatic setup planning includes grouping machining features into setups, selecting setup datum and sequencing the setups. A feasible setup plan satisfies fundamental manufacturing constraints and assures that the part is machined to meet design specification. The objective of this work is to automatically generate and evaluate setup plans for complete machining of a given component while simultaneously considering the feature tolerance relationships, feature dependencies, general manufacturing rules, critical machine spatial constraints and fixturing feasibility. The methodology developed during the present work minimises the number of setups and machining tolerances, decides the setup sequence and generates the setups' information and the intermediate work piece geometry. The component geometry with identified machining features and their access directions is taken as input from a neutral part data exchange format STandard for the Exchange of Product data (STEP) model. The procedure for generation of setup planning results and visualisation of intermediate work piece model is presented and demonstrated with the help of case studies. Copyright © 2011 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.